Gear-changing device.



A. M. IRISH.

GEAR CHANGING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED 111:0.15. 1910.

Patented Nov. 28, 1911.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

Er: l

A. M. IRISH. GEAR CHANGING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 15, 1910.

Patented Nov. 28, 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

MI-m z WWW 41%? attoznu a A. M. IRISH.

GEAR CHANGING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED DEG.15, 1910.

' Patented NOV. 28, 1911.

3 SHEETSSEEET 3.

544/1) amcoz attoumqo ALLEN M. IRISH, OF BATH, MAINE.

oFFIonfl-a GEAR-CHANGING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 28, 1911.

Application tiled December 15, 1910. Serial No. 597,390.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, ALLEN M. InIsH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bath, in the county of Sagadahoc and State of Maine, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Gear-Changing Devices;and I do declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an improved clutch shifting and gear changingdevice.

The object of the invention is to provide a simply constructed andeflicient device of .this character in which the clutch control and thegear shifter are conjoined to cause the clutch valve to open and releasethe clutch before a gear change is possible.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts aswill be more fully described and particularly pointed out in theappended claims.

In the accompanying drawings :-Figure 1 represents a diagrammatic viewshowing the application of this invention; Fig. 2 is a transversevertical section through the valve with parts broken out and with thevalve shown inneutral position which it assumes when the clutch isengaged; Fig.3

7 is a similar view with the valve shown m active position and theclutch disengaged; Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on theline 4--4 of Fig. 3; Fig.5 is a similar view taken on the'line 5--5 ofFig. '1; Fig.

I 6 is a vertical sectional view through the gear casin showing the gearshifter in neutral position; Fig. 7 is a similar view with the gearshifter shown in active position and the gears in mesh; Fig. 8 is avertical sectional view of the clutch operating cylinder; Fig. 9 isaside elevation partly in section of the gear shifting cylinder withparts shown in the position indicated in Fig. 6; Fig. 10 is alongitudinal vertical section of the cylinder with the parts shown in jthe position indicated by Fig. 7; Fig. 11 is a transverse sectionthrough the cylinder.

1 is shown having a cylinder 2 arranged thereon and provided with acheck valve 3 which after an explosion occurs permits.

the pressure fluid to travel through a pipe 4 connected with said valveto an accumulator 5 where the pressure is stored and controlled byvalves 6 and 6*. A clutch 7 is connected to be operated by a clutchlever 8 mounted on a propeller shaft 9 as shown in Fig. 1. A lever 10 isconnected at one end tothe lever '8 and at its other end to a plston rod11 which operates in a cylinder 12, mounted on a gear transmission case13. The valves 6 and 6 are preferably constructed as shown in Figs. 2and 3 and are mounted in suitable casings preferably secured to thesteering column 14 by brackets 15. These valves 6 and 6* are preferablyin the form of a balanced plugcock controlling the pressure to theclutch and gear shifter plungers and are so constructed as to render agear change impossible without first releasing. the clutch. The valve-6comprises a valve plug 18 mounted in a casing 17 and provided with asupply port 19 for supplymg fluid to the gear shifter and with anexhaust port 20 and groove 20', (seeFig. 4.) Aspindle 21 extends looselythrough the valve plug 18 and is provided with an angular end which fitswhen lowered with an angular socket 18 in said plug whereby the plug maybe turned with the spindle when in this position. The casing 17 is pro-.vided with a cap 22 having a gasket 23 arranged between it and the upperend of the casing to form a tight connection therefor and for the clutchsupply valve 24 formed on the spindle 21 and mounted in the upper end ofthe casing 17. This valve 24 forms one member of the clutch control 6and the other member is in the formof a clutch exhaust valve 25 arrangedin a chamber formed in the upper end of said cap 22 said chamber beingprovided with an provided with a spring 33 forholding them In theembodiment illustrated, an engine.

in operative yielding position.v The spindle or operating rod 21 extendsinto position adjacent the steering wheel and is provided at itsupperend with a pivoted operating lever 34 which is fulcrumed on an adjustable pivot screw 35 which extends vertically through a laterallyextending bracket 36 secured to the upper end of the steering post 14. Asubstantially annular member 37 projects laterally from the steeringpost and is provided in its upper edge with a plurality of notches, as38, 39 and 40, which are adapted to receive the lever 34 which isconnected with the upper end of the rod 21 and is operable to controlthe valves 6 and 6 as hereinafter described. When the valve 6 ismanipulated to cause pressure from the accumulator 5 to be transmittedto the cylinder 12, by means of a pipe ell, the piston 12 thereof willmove outwardly in the direction of the arrow thereby operating thelevers l0 and 8 and releasing the clutch 7.

The propeller shaft 9 extends into the gearcasing 13 and is providedwithin said casing with two sliding gears 43 and 44 which are adapted tomesh with gears 45 and 46 fixed to a jack shaft 47 also mounted withinsaid casing 13, and the inner end of said propeller shaft- 9 extendsinto a gear 42 fixed to the inner end of a driving shaft 9. A gear 48 isalso fixed to said shaft 47 and permanently meshes with the gear 42carricd by the driving shaft.

Two cylinders 49 and 50 are mounted at diametrically opposite pointsabove the cas ing 13 and are adapted to receive pistons 51 and 52mounted on the opposite ends of a hollow piston rod 53. A shifting arm54 is also secured to the rod 53 and is connected with the gears 43 and44 which are slidably mounted on the propeller shaft 9. The cylinders 49and 50 are closed at both ends and are preferably provided with gaskets,as Pipes 56 and 57 are connected at one end with the ports 29 and 30 ofthe valve (3 and at their other ends with openings at the outer ends ofthe cylinders 49 and 50 through which the actuating fluid for thepistons is conducted. Coiled springs 58 and 59 are mounted in the hollowplunger rod 53 and are held in position by retaining plates (30 and (31which pass through slots, as 62, formed in said rod to provide for thesliding of the rod relatively tosaid plates for a purpose hereinafterdescribed.

The cylinders 49 and 50 are preferably mounted in opposite ends of acentrally disposed cylinder 62 which is provided on its inner face withlongitudinally spaced annul-ar shoulders 63 and 64 against which thespring retaining plates 60 and 61 are adapted to abut to limit theirinward movement. These springs 58 and 59 hold the gears in neutralposition, as shown in Fig. 6, and are always under tension even when sodisposed .whereby a positive action 18 always produced thereby.

of these springs will not alter the neutral position of the gears as thespring retainers Any inequality of tension 60 and 61 will bear againstthe shoulders 63 and 64 which limit their inward movement.

The clutch operating cylinder 12 shown in detail in Fig. 8 preferablycomprises a supporting frame 65 with the cylinder 12 depending therefromand having a gasket 66 arranged between the lower face of the frame 65and the upper edge of the cylinder. A cap 67 is preferably secured onthe lower end of the cylinder 12 and is provided with acentrallydisposed aperture 68 with which the pipe 41 is designed to beconnected for supplying the operating fluid to said cylinder. A followerspring 69 is preferably arranged in the cylinder 12 below the piston 12and is of sufficient strength only to hold the piston in operativeposition in engagement with the plunger rod 11, the connection betweenSaIdIOd and the p'iston being preferably in the form of a ball andsocket joint, the weight of the Y iston 12", the rod 11 and lever 10being so cient to compress spring 69 and move the piston down intodotted line inoperative position. y

In the operation of this improved apparatus with the parts shown in theposition indicated in Fig. 2, the compressed fluid enters the lower endof the valve (3 through a. pipe 70 connected with the accumulator 5 andno action is produced thereby as the valveplug 18 is turned to cut oil'communication with the pipes 56 and 57, and the valve and the clutchvalve 24 being also closed no pressure reaches the clutch supply port27. The outer end of the controlling lever 34 is then raised, pivotingaboutvthe adjusting screw.35 as a fulcrum and forces the rod 21 downwardwhich unseats the clutch supply valve 24 and seats the clutch exhaustvalve 25 whereby the pressure fluid enters the clutch supply port27 andis transmitted through the pipe 41 to the cylinder 12 and raises thepiston 12 therein, and operates the clutch lever 8 thereby disengagingthe clutch. The clutch being new disengaged, the operating lever 34which has been raised, out of the notch 39 is free to be rotated fromthe notch 39 t0 the notch 40, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 5. Thisturning of the lever 34, turns the valve plug 18 into position to causethe supply port 19 to register with the gear shifting port 29 and thepressure fluid is conducted through the pipe 57 to the cylinder 50 ofthe gear ,shifterand forces the piston 52 inward as shown, in Fig. 7,whereby the gears 44 and 45 are caused to mesh, motion being imparted tothe gear 44 by means of the arm 54 which is operated by the plunger rod53. These gears 44 and 45 being new in mesh the operating lever 34 maybe lowered into the notch 40 thereby raising the rod 21 which permitsthe. valve '24 to seat, as shown in Fig. 2 and the valve 25 to openpermitting the pressure in'the clutch cylinder 12 to escape'through theexhaust port 26 thereby allowing the clutch plunger to return to normalposition and the clutch to become operative.

The balls shown in Figs. 2 and 3 are designed to determine thepositionof the handle or lever 34 when said lever is rotated to bring it inposition directly over any one of the notches 38, 39 or 40.

Should it be desired to throw the gears 43 and 46 into mesh, pressurewould be admittedto the cylinder 51 through the pipe 56 controlled bythe valve 6 and the operation would be the same as that described above.Y

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the inventionwill be readily understood without requiring a more extendedexplanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details ofconstruction may be resorted to without departing from the principle orsacrificing any of the advantages of this invention, as defined in theappended claims.

I claim as my invention 1. In a combined clutch and gear shifter,

the combination of gear shifting means,

means for supplying an operating fluid to said shifting means, a valvefor controlling the fluid supplied to said gear shifting means, aclutch, fluid operating means for releasing said clutch, a valve forcontrolling the supplyof fluid to said clutch releasing means, and meansconnected with said valves for releasing the clutch before a /gearchange can be made.

2. In a combined clutch and gearshifter,

.the combination of gear shifting means, a

valve for controlling said gear shifting means, means connecting saidgear shifting I means with said valve, a clutch, a valve for controllingthe actuation of said clutch, means for connecting said clutch with saidvalve, a shaft connected with said clutch and gear shifting valves, andmeans connected with said shaft operable to actuate said clutchreleasing means and release said clutch before a gear change ispossible.

3. In a combined clutch and gear shifter,

the combination of gear shifting means, a

valve for controlling said gear shifting means, pipes connecting saidvalve and gear shifting means, a clutch, clutch actuating means, a valvefor controlling the actuation of said clutch, a pipe connecting saidclutch controlling valve and said clutch actuating means, meansconnecting said clutch and valve, a shaft connected with said clutch andgear shlftmg valves, an annular member surrounding said shaft and havinga plurality of recesses in its upper face, and a lever connected with'said shaft and extending laterally over said annular member in positionto engage the recesses in said member and operable when lifted out ofone of said recesses to open the clutch controlling valve to release theclutch before the shifting of the gear.

4. In a combined clutch and gear shifter, the combination of gearshifting means, a clutch a balanced plug valve for releasing said clutchbefore said gear shifting means can be operated and pipes connectingsaid gear shifting means and said clutch with said valve.

5. In a combined clutch and gear shifter, the combination of gearshifting means, a clutch, a balanced plug valve for releasing saidclutch before said gear shifting means can be operated, pipes connectingsaid gear shifting means and saidclutch with said valve and means underthe control of the operator for actuating said valve.

6. In a combined clutch and gear shifter, the combination of gearshifting means, a valve for controlling said gear shift-ing means, pipesconnecting said valve and gear shifting means, a clutch, clutchactuating means, a valve for controlling the actuation of said clutch, apipe connecting said clutch controlling valve and said clutch actuatingmeans, a shaft connected with said clutch and gear shifting valves, andmeans connected with said shaft to actuate the clutch controlling valvebefore the gear shifting valve can be operated.

7. In a gear shifter, the combination of a pressure fluid reservoir, avalve connected with and adapted to control the outlet of said pressurefluid, a gear casing, stationary and slidable gears therein arranged forintermeshing engagement, a cylinder, a piston operable in said cylinderfor throwing said gears into and out of mesh, a pipe connecting saidvalve with said cylinder, at piston rod connected with said piston, acoiled spring hearing at one end on the inner face of the piston, aspring retainer for engaging the other end of said spring, and means forlimiting the movement of said retainer ALLEN M. IRISH.

Witnesses: 4 Geo. M. STEPHENS, Gnonor. B. MOODY.

ltlO

